A sad day for some punters

Reasons

The reasons for the revocation of the licence include weapons inside and outside the premises, obstructing the police and detection of cocaine in the lavatories. The licensee has the right to appeal

13:48Linda Fort

Decision

They have decided to revoke the licence

13:45Linda Fort

Licensing

We’re back

12:39Linda Fort

Adjournment

The committee will now adjourn to make its decision - at least 45 minutes.

12:38Linda Fort

No dialogue

“When we have written to them - we have received no responses,” say Richard French.

He also refers to large numbers of people being served drink long after the licensing hours.

12:35Linda Fort

Licensing objectives

“How can you promote the licensing objectives when you don’t know what they are? “asked Richard French of the licensing team at Reading Borough Council. He said “Police were trapped inside the premises” - adding that he had never heard of another similar incident in Reading.

12:33Linda Fort

Police summing up

“A fit and proper person” to hold a licence does oick up a weapon and offer voilence - says Mike King for the police .

PC Paul Leader said he had never once been received in a pub anywhere else in Reading in that way by a licensee “We were abused, sworn at” when responding to a “knife incident”.

12:21Linda Fort

"It's just not there"

Since the January 9 incident, the alleged “violent” behaviour of the premises licence holder might have manifested itself - but Mr Phipps said “It is just not there.”

12:19Linda Fort

No-one charged

“Four months on they have not been charged with any offences” - says Mr Phipps of the four arrested on January 9.

If anyone had been chanrged that would make “the hurdle all the steeper to climb” he went on. “innocent until proven guilty” said Mr Phipps suggesting revocation of the licence was a”draconian” measure.

12:16Linda Fort

Super pub

“What we say about the pub in it’s general sense is that it is a super pub doing a super job” said Mr Phipps.

He points to a petition and a decent volume of letters - plus three people coming along to the hearing saying “It’s a decent pub”.

12:14Linda Fort

Summing up

“Without the 9th of Janaury, none of us would be here.” said Mr Phipps. “The premises wasn’t on the authority’s radar it would seem in any way at all.”

12:13Linda Fort

Who called the police on January 9?

The call came from a customer who said “get the f...ing police here.” She rang off and the police could not then call her back. She was a friend of Adrian Parker. Caroline Parker said: “We asked her to call the police.”

12:06Linda Fort

CCTV

Mr Phipps acknowledges that CCTV at the time of the January incident would have given “golden evidence.” The pub didn’t have it then but now has eight cameras, two outside and six inside.

Mr Phipps saids there would not be any resistence to conditions on the licence “We get that.”

12:04Linda Fort

Mistakes

Mr Phipps raise concerns about errors in the original paperwork.

12:03Linda Fort

Trouble-makers

Outsiders to the pub causing trouble - what steps are the licensees taking to keep known trouble-makers out, asks Richard French. This premises is “a busy trhriving community pub”and there are 10 incidents metioned - one serious. The others do not “bear any decent scrutiny” says Mr Phipps.

DrugsLinda Fort

Father of the premises licence holder Adrian Parker said they had been working with the police over the drug issue and had been using WD40 to wipe down the lavatoty surfaces to discourage cocaine use. They were now using “vegetable oil” on the advice of the police

11:56Linda Fort

The designated premises supervisor

Andrew Parker said he had been seeing Emma Parker[Mead] - the DPS regularly over the last year - Caroline Parker said the marriage had “broken up”

11:54Linda Fort

Significant incident

Mr Phipps said they were not arguing that the incident on January 9 was “not a significant incident” - just whether it should lead to revocation of the licence.

11:51Linda Fort

Drunkenness

“Sober, tipsy, drunk, intoxicated and comatose “ is the police scale of drunkenness - Mr Phipps didn’t agree with the order

11:49Linda Fort

Resumed hearing

We’re back. Further questioning to come. Mike King for the police wanted to know who locked the door on January 9. Mr Phipps said he was not prepared to go into that incident further.

11:39Linda Fort

Break

The committee has adjourned for a “comfort break” for 10 minutes. After the break we will hear summing up on both sides and then the committee will adjourn again for a decision on whether or not to revoke the licence of the Prince of Wales in Tilehurst

11:37Linda Fort

Another regular

Graham Dyson said he had been using the pub for 14 years and felt “comfortable there”. Another regular Steve Leaver said it was “a really very busy pub “ and there was “no trouble at all.” He said the management had “done so much for the community”.

11:33Linda Fort

Regular

A pub regular - unnamed - who has been drinking there for 18 years says he has always found the Prince of Wales “inviting”.

11:31Linda Fort

If you read the papers alone then “this is a pretty shoddy premises” said Mr Phipps but he produces other evidence to suggest otherwise. He says CCTV has been installed and refers to a petition from regulars. He has evidence of charity events, a Christmas lunch and pool team successes. He said he hoped this would indicate “how the pub operates”.

He produces a number of letters which say “No touble”, “Happy to go here, “Thanks for the chairty fundraising, “Thanks for the support for the children’s football team”, “Thanks for reinivgorating the pool league in Reading”, “You’re an ssset to the community.”

Mr Phipps said this evidence is produced to raise questions as to whether revocation of the licence is the way to deal with this.

11:24Linda Fort

Staff training

“Regretable and embarassing training failures” Mr Phipps admits on behalf of the Prince of Wales - but not a reason to revoke the licence, he adds.

11:21Linda Fort

Cocaine

Mr Phipps acknowledges there were “high readings for cocaine” but not “exceptionally high” as in the summary in the report to the committee. He said it was not right to say the readings were high in the male, female and disabled lavatories. The reading in the disabled toilet was only “medium”.

11:16Linda Fort

Cocaine

“Disappointed that there is any evidence of any drug reading on the premises at all,” said Mr Phipps. He points out that a “zero-reading is not particularly common”. He said the comment made to the licensee was that “this was not unusual”. The report says there were “significant readings for the use of cocaine” in the lavatory.

11:13Linda Fort

What has gone on since the incident?

Mr Phipps said that the “compliance visit” after the incident on January 9 revealed “breaches of the conditions of the licence.” But he said there was nothing that would warrant a revocation of the licence.

He refers to an incident following a pool game and a bet after which Andrew Parker is punched.